Xu Zifan, of course, wouldn't go; the psychological torment was always far greater than the physical. He smiled faintly, trying to provoke her, "I should thank you. If it weren't for you, how could I have married such a virtuous wife as Ruonan? If Ruonan hadn't taken care of my parents and supported the cloth shop, how would I have had the energy to study for the imperial examinations? Furthermore, if you hadn't repeatedly schemed and annoyed people, how would we have thought of moving to the prefectural city? And how would we have had the opportunity to get acquainted with the prefect and receive the favor of the Liang family in the capital? It can be said that you have made our whole family prosperous step by step; I should be thanking you."
Now that you are carrying the dragon's child, I wish you soaring to great heights. Take care of yourself.
After Xu Zifan finished speaking, he turned and left, making sure no one saw them meet. Lin Ruoshan was still in shock. Only when Xu Zifan's figure was out of sight did she clutch her stomach and collapse onto the stone bench, covered in cold sweat, her entire back soaked through.
Xu Zifan's words lingered in Lin Ruoshan's mind. Like her, he had been reborn. No wonder Xu Zifan agreed so readily when she suggested a marriage swap, and so easily exposed the truth, ruining her reputation. Because what she knew, Xu Zifan also knew. She possessed a spiritual spring, but Xu Zifan was a hundred times smarter than her—smart enough to pass the imperial examinations six times and become a favorite of the emperor!
And now she has also lost the Spirit Spring.
What qualifications does she have to fight Xu Zifan? What can she use to contend with him? Xu Zifan even knows about Xia Lian's affairs, so Xia Lian's family's sudden departure from the capital must be related to Xu Zifan. All her schemes are known to Xu Zifan. If the spiritual spring is an opportunity she gained through rebirth, then could it be... that Xu Zifan also gained some kind of opportunity during his rebirth? Otherwise, why was Xu Zifan cured of his illness? And why was he so intelligent that he became the top scholar in the imperial examination?
Lin Ruoshan grew increasingly frightened. The unknown is always a source of fear, especially since she had repeatedly lost to Xu Zifan, each time suffering immense pain. Would Xu Zifan retaliate against her for Xia Lian's incident?
Lin Ruoshan's mind was in turmoil. Without the spiritual spring, the string of confidence in her heart snapped, leaving her anxious and fearful. She felt like she was walking on a dead-end narrow bridge, one wrong step and she would fall into an abyss.
When Qiuye returned with tea and snacks, she saw her looking distraught and exclaimed, "Master! What's wrong, Master?"
Lin Ruoshan's anger flared instantly, "Why are you only just getting back? I asked you to get some tea and snacks, and you took so long? Are you slacking off and not wanting to serve me? Then go to the laundry department!"
Qiu Ye hurriedly knelt down and kowtowed, "Master, please calm your anger, this servant knows her crime, please calm your anger..."
"What's the use of begging for mercy? I'm all alone here. Can you take responsibility if something happens to me? You idiot! You're more trouble than you're worth!" Lin Ruoshan berated her and slapped her twice before she felt a little better. She stood up and said, "Aren't you going to come and help me up? Don't you have any sense? Hurry up!"
Qiu Ye dared not speak her anger, lowering her head to conceal her expression as she carefully helped Lin Ruoshan back to the palace. Unexpectedly, they encountered the Imperial Concubine on the way. The Imperial Concubine had been in the palace for three years without conceiving, and a fleeting look of jealousy crossed her eyes as she glanced at Lin Ruoshan's belly. Lin Ruoshan's pregnancy was favored by the Emperor, and although the Imperial Concubine could not punish her, she could still make Lin Ruoshan feel uncomfortable.
The Imperial Concubine pressed her forehead and said, "I have been feeling very weak lately, and the imperial physicians cannot find the cause. I have heard that you, my sister, have incredibly skillful hands and can brew wine that can cure all ailments. I would be grateful if you could brew me a pot. If I feel better, I will reward you handsomely."
Lin Ruoshan's heart jumped into her throat. She staggered and grabbed Qiu Ye's hand tightly. "Your Majesty, I have been ill for several days and am not yet fully recovered. I am afraid I am unable to serve Your Majesty. I am truly ashamed and beg Your Majesty's forgiveness."
The Imperial Concubine's face darkened. "Just now I saw you walking briskly, how come you say you're sick as soon as you see me? There's a pavilion over there, you can sit there and wait for the imperial physician to come. Sister, don't refuse, I'm just worried about your health." She turned her head and ordered, "Go, call the imperial physician."
Lin Ruoshan harbored resentment in her heart, but she was just a minor concubine. She dared to use her wits to escape when she encountered the two unfavored concubines, but she dared not act rashly when she encountered this favored concubine. She could only sit in the pavilion, anxious and worried.
The imperial physician arrived quickly and, after taking Lin Ruoshan's pulse, dared not say anything rashly, seeing that the Consort looked accusatory. He only said, "Consort Lin is in good health, and the pregnancy is stable. She is just a little worried, but there is nothing serious."
The Imperial Concubine slammed her hand on the table. "How dare you! Consort Lin, do you know your crime?"
Lin Ruoshan hurriedly knelt down, "Your Majesty, please forgive me. I am indeed unwell and dared not deceive Your Majesty. Perhaps it is because of excessive worry that I feel dizzy and lightheaded, and that's why..."
"Shut up! If you're not feeling well, what are you doing out here?" The Imperial Concubine squinted at her clothes, which were clearly carefully chosen. Remembering the Emperor playing chess in the Imperial Garden earlier, she instantly understood. "So, you keep saying you're sick, yet you come to the Imperial Garden to see the Emperor. If you are ill, aren't you just passing on your illness to the Emperor? If you're not sick, then you're deceiving me?"
"No, I didn't..."
"Then tell me, what are you doing here?"
The Imperial Concubine's repeated questioning left Lin Ruoshan speechless. What could she say? That she came to intercept Xu Zifan? Wouldn't a concubine deliberately meeting with an outsider be courting death? Or that she came to enjoy the scenery? She had just said she was unwell and couldn't even brew wine, so how could she enjoy the scenery?
No, it wasn't right; nothing she said would be wrong. Lin Ruoshan clutched her stomach and screamed, "My stomach... my stomach hurts... it hurts so much..."
Consort Gui was indeed favored by the Emperor, and Lin Ruoshan also gained considerable favor with the Emperor and Empress Dowager that year.
The imperial physician dared not offend Consort Lin, who was pregnant with the emperor's child, and tried to smooth things over by saying, "Consort Lin has had a miscarriage. Your humble servant will prescribe a medicine to stabilize her pregnancy."
Given Lin Ruoshan's current state, how could the Imperial Concubine possibly hold her back? She had no choice but to let her go. However, she was displeased that a mere noblewoman had humiliated her, and she went straight to the Empress's palace to report the matter to the Empress.
In the imperial harem, infighting was commonplace. No one wanted to see another gain power, and once the emperor favored a woman, everyone else would try to find fault with her. Lin Ruoshan was an auspicious creature with incredibly magical hands. The emperor and empress dowager both loved her creations and hoped she would give birth to an extraordinary prince. This greatly displeased the concubines who already had children, with the empress being the most resentful.
The Empress pondered carefully. The day Lin Ruoshan's dishes were unpalatable and difficult to swallow, Lin Ruoshan then feigned illness and stayed away from home for many days, never showing her face again, and never approaching the Emperor or Empress Dowager. Today, she encountered the Imperial Concubine, who only asked her to brew a pot of wine—not even a difficult request—yet she would rather offend the Imperial Concubine than agree. Why was that?
The Empress smiled and had someone report Lin Ruoshan's miscarriage to the Emperor. She also had someone relay to the Empress Dowager through a palace maid that Lin Ruoshan was fine but refused to brew wine. Then, she personally brought top-quality medicinal herbs to visit Lin Ruoshan.
Lin Ruoshan pretended to be weak and lay on the bed. The series of frights had made her pale and sickly. However, she had been drinking spiritual spring water every day, so her body was very healthy and she was not so easy to get sick. The imperial physician could only give some ambiguous answers.
The Emperor, worried that his son would come to visit, and the Empress Dowager, suspicious of what the palace maids had said, came to investigate in person. In an instant, Lin Ruoshan's palace welcomed the three most powerful people in the palace. She was so nervous that she dared not utter a single word, for fear of giving herself away.
The women in the harem understood each other's tricks best, so the Empress Dowager no longer believed that Lin Ruoshan was really sick. She just couldn't understand why Lin Ruoshan was pretending to be sick. Was she pregnant and delicate and unwilling to cook or brew wine, or... did something go wrong and she couldn't perform the miracle?
The Empress Dowager recalled the unpalatable side dishes from that day and Lin Ruoshan's surprised expression, and felt that something was amiss. This was a serious matter; the loss of the divinely bestowed "power" was surely a punishment from heaven, a sign of impending doom!
The Empress Dowager solemnly addressed the imperial physician she had summoned from the outer room: "You must examine her carefully to confirm whether Consort Lin is truly unwell and whether she is fit to brew wine and prepare food."
The emperor understood immediately and frowned. The imperial physician took his leave and returned shortly to report that Lin Ruoshan was not seriously ill. Although she was somewhat worried, it had not harmed her health. On the contrary, she was in good health, even healthier than the concubines who had just had their pulse checked.
This is interesting. If there's nothing wrong with her body, why would she pretend to be sick? The Empress Dowager and the Emperor exchanged a glance, both suspecting "divine power."
Lin Ruoshan was already regretting it. What good was agreeing to the Imperial Concubine's request? She could just get some good wine to fool her. It was all Xu Zifan's fault for suddenly telling her about her rebirth. She was completely flustered, and then the Imperial Concubine asked for wine, so in her haste, she pretended to be sick. She thought she had only offended the Imperial Concubine, but now things had escalated, and she didn't know how to handle the situation.
Lin Ruoshan was helped to the outer hall by a palace maid and saw that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor both had serious expressions. The Empress Dowager said in a deep voice, "I haven't tasted your dishes for many days, and I miss them very much. The imperial physician said that you are in good health. Could you cook one for me? Even just one bite would be fine."
The Empress Dowager's words have gone this far; even if you're about to die, you have to do them, otherwise aren't you just courting death?
Lin Ruoshan forced a smile, responded, and then walked stiffly into the small kitchen.
The Empress Dowager's head maid helped her all the way, smiling and offering to help her. But Lin Ruoshan knew that the Empress Dowager wanted to see how she cooked, and that the Empress Dowager had already noticed something was wrong!
Lin Ruoshan's hands trembled slightly as she chopped the vegetables; it was the head palace maid who helped her. But without the spiritual spring, what would she do?
Lin Ruoshan was distracted, and her handling of the seasonings was unpredictable. The refreshing cold dish she made even made the palace maids frown.
The head palace maid shook her head at the Empress Dowager upon returning, but the Empress Dowager didn't even taste it. Instead, she asked her to brew another pot of wine for the Emperor. This wine, infused with the spirit spring water, left the Emperor feeling warm and invigorated after each sip, a stark contrast to ordinary wine. The Emperor had been drinking it daily, making it impossible to fake. Lin Ruoshan's legs went weak, and she knelt on the ground.
The emperor frowned and asked, "What does this mean? Have you lost your talent for brewing wine? Have you lost the ability to make ordinary food nourish and cure diseases?"
Lin Ruoshan was so frightened that tears streamed down her face. She lay prostrate on the ground, not daring to lift her head. "Your Majesty, I really don't know what's going on. I didn't do anything..."
This is the default setting!
The divine power that had descended upon the royal harem was suddenly withdrawn, an ominous sign. The emperor and empress dowager both paled.
Lin Ruoshan hurriedly exclaimed, "The divine power must have fallen on the little prince, it must be... it must be..."